The Conquerors of Pelóri
by solo.heart
Summary: "Tessa gasped as she saw a large man with a sharp arrow drawn...'Halbarad! These are children. Stay your hand' Halithir called to his brother as he returned his arrow in his quiver." A coming of age epic for five teenagers, Rosaria, Ian, Spencer, Tessa, and Kyle (OCs). As they grow together, more challenges arise. Updated at least once a week-"not fangirly"
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

We begin our adventure in the grimy, yet lavish city of Las Vegas. With no rain to wash away the dust of life, all sorts of unpleasentness washes over the good, choking it, preventing the beauty from ever blooming, and turning that which was a alive, dead.

This is Rosaria. A small, beautiful teenage girl who never fit in with her large, loud family. She was incredibly intelligent, but that knowledge was stifled beneath the hot desert sun, and beneath her older brothers taunts. After they had dropped out of school and gone to work, one in a restaurant, and another for some hotel contractor, Rosaria thought she could finally bring home a report card in peace, but her mother didn't understand the grades, and her father never even bothered to look. So Rosaria continued in her silence, and her achievements continued to go unnoticed, even by those who handed her the grades.

Her actual adventure began as she was walking home from school. The air was dark and heavy, just like monsoon season. But Rosaria knew it was not a monsoon, those came in August, not April. As she walked slowly home, although a bit quicker after remembering she was hungry, she felt an odd feeling.

_I didn't think I was this hungry. Gosh! s_he thought, _Is this what it feels like to pass out?_

And pass out she did.

Out in an alley of Baltimore, Ian was hiding. His friend Ricky had made a bad move with a Bird that night and blamed it on Ian. Ian just figured that it would be easier for him to hide from the dumb bird, than have Fat Ricky try to pull a stunt. Again.

And then this feeling washed over him. Almost like that horrible fatigue of sixth period, but harder.

And it came again and again, bringing Ian to the ground.

_Man Ricky, I shoulda just let you learn your lesson. _

He tried to bring his legs back to their proper place under his body, but they slowly felt like puddles, incapable of doing anything other than running down a drain. He heard yelling and assumed that he'd been spotted. That was his last thought before he joined Rosaria.

Spencer was just sitting in his room in a small suburb of Portland, playing on his DS. Man was 8th grade rough. A plate of pizza rolls sat beside him. He didn't even notice himself drifting off and disappearing. Neither did the pizza rolls, but they were thankful to have survived the afternoon snack. At least until the family cat came in.

Tessa was at track practice. Her tight, frizzy curls were pulled back the best she could as she ran around the locker room getting ready for practice. It was mostly empty when Tessa locked herself in the stall. She waited until Emily had left to do what she went in to do. She finished up and headed out to the field. She had almost made it to the door before she collapsed.

_This is the price you have to pay, _the voices in her head said.

Then she blacked out.

Kyle wasn't in the mood to watch mom and dad go at it again. He walked out to the woods across the road. He wasn't sure who owned the property, but he knew it wasn't his dad, so it would be quiet there. There were a few trees he really liked to climb, but today he just didn't have the energy.

He sat on a huge root and cursed to the wind. He thought maybe if he vented all the hate that his dad put in him that he could finally be normal, but when he stood, the urge to break the branches in his way was still there. He looked down at his worthless hands.

_I'll only ever be his son. I'll always be this angry. _


	2. Chapter 2

I know I said in the summary that I would post weekly updates, but I have another big test tomorrow and the stress is getting to me. Besides, that was a terrible stopping point and this is my apology. It's kinda of a halfhearted apology because I have a big test tomorrow, so...

Chapter 2: Some Kind of Rabbit-hole

As Kyle looked up from his hands, he felt a weakness come over his body. He fought hard against the feeling, focusing on the trees in front of him. The scene quickly became blurry, he kept fighting it. The rough trees swirled around his vision like hot chocolate and bright flashes of light that came from the sky felt like they had a physical force and were trying to knock him over. He grounded his feet and pushed back against the light as it engulfed the whole world. Suddenly there was a lack of sensation to match the lack of distinction around him and he almost gave in to the ever present fatigue. He took one deep breath as he stepped forward.

The ground he had so solidly been planted on mere moments before had disapered and there was nothing to stop his fall. And that was it. His fear had lowered his guard and Kyle too lost consciousness.

After a moment of darkness, he was awake and upright, looking around the woods. But these were different, unfamiliar trees. He walked around the nearest one, marveling at the low, thick branches that would be perfect for climbing up and into.

Before Kyle could get his foot on one of those tempting branches, he heard a girl yell, "Help!"

He looked over to see a tan girl with black hair and a blue sundress lying about 30 yards from him on a small slope. She had a nice face, but something seemed wrong that he couldn't quite place.

"Please, can anyone hear me?" she yelled again

"Hold on. I'm coming!" He yelled back at her. He brushed the brushes and branches out of the way as he ran to her. When he got close he noticed her sandals and backpack were scattered around like she had been thrown off a swing-set. And then he saw why she had called for help. Besides the scratches on her arms from thorns, her collarbone was askew, giving her neck an inhuman shape. Kyle had watched enough TV to know that a broken collarbone was fairly serious.

"One second, I'll call 911," he said in a slightly shaky voice. "What's your name?" he asked as he pulled out his phone.

"I'm Rosaria."

"Tha-that's a cool name. How'd you end up in the woods dressed like this?" He said, trying to make conversation to keep himself calm. He tried not to let her see how frustrated he was with his phone. It wasn't the latest model to say the least and the plan only covered areas accessible with a stepladder.

"I didn't. I was just walking home from school." she said meekly. "You didn't tell me your name."

"I'm Kyle." He cursed at his phone verbally now. "I can't get any service here. Do you have your phone?"

"In my purse. But we don't even know where we are. Where is an ambulance going to go?"

_She had a point _he thought. "I don't know."

Rosaria looked at him and he could see the tears in her eyes. "You should go look around. Maybe..." She trailed off as she thought about what they would say to anyone they found. How she had ended up in a forest when there wasn't one within 300 miles of where she had been. How this scruffy punk with earrings had ended up with her. How she had woken up to an amazing pain at the top of her chest. _ If only I knew. Then I could do something. _

Kyle thought about it. Could he leave this girl to find some help? Did he have a choice?

"I promise, I will be right back," he said. And he started walking north, looking for a trail or a sign of a human.

He didn't get very far before he saw a boy a few years younger than him in sweatpants sitting on a log. Kyle walked up to the end of the lg he was on.

"Hello," he said. "Do you live around here? Someone back here is hurt, and-." He stopped when he saw the shell-shocked look on his face. "Hello?"

_We must have been in an accident. I just forgot everything. Trauma, right? Was it an airplane? Had to have been. Why would I be on an airplane? _ And then he remembered that horrible feeling of falling. _ No. that light was real. it had to be. Maybe I died. That would suck._

"HELLL—OOO!" someone voice yelled. "Anybody!"

As the voices got closer, Kyle could make out another voice, a girls voice.

"This is nuts. Whatever crazy TV show I've been put on is gonna pay big time when they get sued."

"We're over here!" Kyle yelled, slightly relieved.

Two figures pushed their way through a particularly large bush. A slender girl with bouncy curls was wearing a sweatshirt and some tiny running shorts. Behind her was a well built black guy dressed like any normal teenage boy would. He checked his iPhone and slid it back into his pocket without really looking at it, mostly because the time had been stuck on 12:00 and he had found a place without service.

Tessa saw Spencer sitting on a log, walked up to him and asked "Hey buddy, can you hear us?"

Spencer gave a little shiver of a nod and went back to staring at the ground.

"I guess so," she said. "I'm Tessa, by the way. This is Ian. We just met a few minutes ago."

"I'm Kyle." he said, "Look, there is this other girl I found back a ways. She's hurt pretty bad. Like, needs a hospital bad, so if any of you knows where we are, or what's going on, spill. Now."

Ian stepped up, "No, sorry. I yelled at Tess for a bit when I came around cause I though this was a prank. Itsnot, sorry."

"No, it's okay, I just figured, someone has to know what's happening." Kyle said.

Tessa looked at Kyle and asked, "Where is your friend?"

"Right back here. I'll show you."

Kyle led the way back to Rosaria with Tessa right behind him, holding Spencer's hand, and Ian bringing up the rear. It took some of the longest minutes of Kyle's life to get back to her. What if something had happened and she had... Or if he got lost and couldn't find her.

But all those worries were gone when he reached the small clearing.

"Rosaria! I found some people!" he called.

But she didn't respond. He was running towards her before he knew that he was moving. Wory coursed though his body. His hands shook from fear as he checked her pulse. It was still there. He looked up at Ian, wishing that the tall boy had some power to fix whatever was broken.

"She's alive."

They all breathed a sigh of relief, but with the inhale they realized the gravity of their situation. I n unfamiliar woods, with no clue how they got there, no food, water, or shelter. The sun was setting and they were all exhausted.

Kyle looked at all his new friends. Their chances of surviving looked very slim from his vantage point. He just hoped he would get to see the sun rise.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Like Ships Passing in the Night

sorry again for a less than exciting chapter two, and also for posting later today, there was a lot going on.

This one may get a little more interesting. I'd love to hear some feedback, if you feel like it would be worth your time. This is set a way's north of Rivendell, if any of you just watched the movies and don't know Middle earth like a pro-yet. Either way, enjoy chapter three.

The shadow of the night covered everything, even the stars, from where Halithir and his brother Halbarad were hunting a small group of goblins through the Trollshaws of Rhudaur. The two brothers, strong, mature men by the standards of their people, were arguing over the name of a friend.

"If you insist that that woman is beautiful because she possessed a name as unfortunate as Vonnes, you are surely mistaken," Halithir said as they turned west with the goblin trail.

"And you brother, place to much value on the pleasure of the name, and not nearly enough on it's hidden meaning. 'Vonnes' bring to memory of those with the intelligences thereof a courageous woman" Halbarad said.

"Nay brother," countered Halithir. "If we are to believe her to be named after the manner of the elves, her name brings to memory a blackened heart, for 'Vonnes' means 'ice-heart'!"

"Keep quiet, Halithir!" Halbarad shushed. "This is not the time, nor the place. There are many beasts about."

"Then allow the beasts to track the goblins, for they could surely do more harm in the night than we could."

"Sometime, brother, you must learn the difference between your fiction and the reality of your situation." sighed Halbarad. "These creatures are of the dark. They have come to Rhudaur for a purpose and we must find that purpose."

"Must we travel in this same dark? We could be within an arrow's reach of our quarry, and have no warning but the others eternal silence."

Halbarad rolled his eyes at his younger brother's dramatic fantasy, but he looked around him, searching for anything that could be a sign of ambush. In his scan of the woods, he saw a large patch of dark earth on a small hill towards their left, evidence that someone was close by.

He motioned to Halithir to go on the left side of hill while Halbarad would take the right himself. The two rangers moved swiftly and silently through the dense woods in search of their would-be attackers.

Meanwhile, hiding in the dense forest barely three meters away Rosaria had turned pale and Kyle was having a hard time staying positive about her future. Or any of their futures. They had no food or shelter, no resources, and no clue where they were. There were no trails anywhere they had managed to explore before darkness had settled in. They had taken turns sitting with Rosaria and going off in search of people or food. Kyle had found some berries, but decided it wasn't worth the risk of eating the small amount of food.

Everyone had returned about ten minutes after darkness had settled in the forest, and without a fire or anything to make one, they were all cold. Tessa was shivering with her legs partially tucked in her sweatshirt next to Spencer, who had fallen asleep. Ian was crouched near Kyle and Rosaria, thinking along the same lines as Kyle.

Ian was staring off in the distance, thinking about the situation he had gotten himself in before a forest had appeared. Maybe dying from a gunshot wouldn't have been as bad as starving. It definitely wouldn't be as bad as the innocent looking Latina lying at death's door because of a broken bone. Through the trees he thought he had seen a flash of grey, but he brushed it off. A few seconds later he saw it again and looked at Kyle.

"Did you see that?" he asked, a little worried. "Through the trees there." he pointed when Kyle looked at him curiously.

"No. It was probably just a bird." he shrugged. "Maybe a weasel."

"There was definitely something there. I'm going to go check it out." And Ian got up and left. He had made it one step beyond the small clearing when he was attacked.

Halbarad tried to knock Ian to the ground, but Ian dodged the large sword and fell backwards. Closer to Kyle, Halithir broke through a bush ready for battle and saw Tessa and Spencer on the ground. Tessa gasped as she saw a large man with a sharp arrow drawn and Kyle jumped up to face him fists raised to defend himself.

"Halbarad! These are children. Stay your hand!" Halithir called to his brother as he returned his arrow in his quiver.

Halbarad looked at the tall boy he had tried to attack with an appraising eye, weighing his height and stature against the youthful fear in his eyes. He quickly sheathed his sword and offered the Ian his hand. Not understanding that the fight was over, Ian tried to sweep his legs beneath Halbarad. The agile ranger dodged them easily and grabbed the lanky boy by his collar. His other hand held a small curved dagger that had appeared at Ian's neck quicker than an eye could follow.

"Do not move, boy," He said quietly.

Ian nodded in agreement. Halbarad released him and pulled him to his feet. Ian's legs felt like jelly and he waivered for a moment, unsure of his footing. Halbarad kept a steadying hand on his back as they walked towards the others.

Once they had all settled around the clearing, Halbarad looked at the strangely dressed youth they had stumbled upon. Their camp had no fire, none of them had a bedroll, in fact, he saw no supplies whatsoever. And then there was the small young woman, lying near the boy with brown curls. She had a broken collarbone, and was in desperate need of aid. Where to begin the questions?

"I am Halbarad, a ranger in these parts. This is my brother Halithir. We are tracking a host of goblins through here. What is your purpose in Rhudaur? By what means did you arrive here? I see no supplies, and your dress is exceedingly unusual for traversing these woods."

Tessa just looked in awe at the man who had just called her unusual. To her, he was the most strangely dressed, carrying a sword, wearing a grey cloak.

Kyle also stared, but stood up answered too. "We don't know how we arrived here. We don't know where we are, but I'm Kyle," he said pointing to himself, and each of them in turn. "This is Tessa, and that's Ian. This is Spencer, and Rosaria is right here. We don't know what happened to her, but we couldn't find help anywhere. We've been here a few hours, but had to stop looking when it got dark."

Halithir walked over to Rosaria and felt her skin. "She is very cold." He unfastened his cloak and draped it over her. "Halbarad, we must get her to Imladris with all haste."

His brother nodded and then he looked at he sorely underprepared people and silently prayed for luck.

The two rangers quickly made a small fire for light and went to work.

Halbarad helped Kyle and Ian fashion a litter to carry Rosaria. They used his cloak as the bed and found two long branches that Halithir had taken his hatchet to to use.

As Halithir was walking past Tessa, he saw her bare legs.

"Are you not cold, miss?" he asked.

"Just a little," she answered.

Halithir reached into his pack and found a pair of pants. Handed them to her, along with a string of leather for a belt. "They may be large, but he will keep you warm."

"Thanks" she said, and pulled them on immediately, tying the extra material around her waist with the thin leather.

"You have the most odd manner of speech, if I may say so."

"Well you sound like you're from the Middle Ages" she said back.

He smiled at her answer, "And where are you from? The Last Ages?"

"The last ones we know about."

He laughed at that. "We all are. We only know the time that we are brought to be in."

She thought about that for a second and said, "Unless you reappear in a forest with strangers dressed like ancient villagers, speaking _oddly_."

"Yes," he said jovially, "I assume that you think am dressed oddly."

"Yes," she said. And she then fell quiet as she realized she was truly in a different world, where she was odd, out of place. _And in danger_ she thought as she looked at his bow and quiver full of arrows.

"Is something the matter?" he asked her.

She looked at his rugged face, thinking about how different it had looked when he had appeared from the bushes, cast in shadows and prepared to actually kill someone.

Her voice warbled a bit from fear as she said "I have no clue where I am or how I got here, and Rosaria is hurt, Spencer hasn't said word since I found him, and, and..."

"You're quite frightened, aren't you?" he asked as he pulled her close.

She started sobbing. "Yeah," she said with a nervous giggle.

Halithir wiped a tear away and said "Don't be, the sun is rising, we will be in Imladris in a few days. All will be well, young Tessa. Do not fear."

Indeed, the sun was rising, sending cool morning rays of light through the greenery and banishing the mist that covered the ground. But Tessa was not quite consoled with the promise of an unknown city days away, through the woods, and only two strange men to guide them.

I promise there will be more by next Sunday. If you have any comments, let me know. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

So I decided that LotR doesn't exist on earth, removing the awkward fan meets character situation I was about to run into. Just accept my fiction and it will be better for you.

Also, this one is going to be much longer than the others, because i found a way to type on my phone and get it to my computer more easily, so I've been working on it since Monday, whenever I got bored in class.

All of Kyle's anxiety about death had risen to a point. It had been more than a day since Halbarad and Halithir had rescued them. Though it didn't seem to be the type of rescue he imagined. The men seemed to be leading them south, but he had no map, and without that, no concept of travel or distance. And he found trusting these close lipped men dressed in dark colors hard, even if they had saved them.

Were they going to a city? A forest fort? A castle? Would they have doctors? Halithir had wrapped Rosaria's shoulder and given Spencer some water. Both of them looked like they might live, but Kyle realized that this was their new reality. There might be death. There would be darkness.

Like tonight. There were clouds in the sky, which meant that the moonlight did not reach the travelers, who had stopped right before the sun went down. Although how the rangers could tell when the sun was setting without seeing it was definitely unnerving.

Halbarad did not like stopping in the hours before complete darkness. There were many beasts and creatures that woke from their slumber to hunt.

Although they were within a days journey of reaching Rivendell, he dared not push the weary teens on through the night, out of fear that they would injure themselves further.

And it gave the young Dunadan time to think. He had never seen or heard of people who spoke like these, or dressed like them. Their names sounded vaguely similar to those of the Rohirrim he had heard, but these adolescents were unique amongst all those of Middle earth. Lord Elrond would know, probably.

They definitely were in need of healing. The one Rosaria, with her collarbone, was lucky to be alive. Despite his reassurances, Kyle could not believe that she would make it. The boy had no hope. Of course he had been reassuring in a gruff ranger way, not in one that actually comforted, but one that should be trusted because it was true.

And he saw the smallest boy, whatever his odd name was, constantly staring off into space. He said nothing, and did little more than walk. The only other girl, Tessa, treated him as a brother, but when he asked, she told him that none of them had ever met before, that they lived thousands of miles apart, and had all appeared in the woods after passing out.

The dark skinned boy he had fought with, Ian, was the opposite of Spencer. When they had rested for a moment about midday, Ian started to wander off, heading for a cave he saw in the distance. Only after Kyle had been sent after him did the lanky boy realize that no one was following him.

Halbarad's pensive look broke when he heard the sound of feet coming from the west. He looked to his brother who heard it too. He quickly thought it was either elves, or it was the party of goblins. They may have doubled back, meaning their small group was in danger of an ambush.

"I will go, you stay and protect them," Halbarad said, gesturing towards the ragged group.

Halithir shook his head, "No, brother, I am a better scout. Your sword will do more good here."

There was truth to both, but Halbarad accepted his brothers skill with stealth and the bow exceeded his own, and his sword may be better for defending their little party.

"Be very careful." He said as his brother prepared his bow and quiver. "The goblins may have-"

"Yes. I thought of that. Now hide yourselves." And with that he disappeared into the twilight.

Halbarad positioned the boys beneath a thick bush. Tessa had hidden herself, and if Halbarad himself could not find her, he doubted a bunch a of dimwitted goblins could.

Tessa was sitting on a log when the two rangers sprang into action. She was standing up he she lost her footing and tumbled down behind the log and down a hill.

She stood up and brushed herself off, feeling totally exposed. He had said goblins. Were there really goblins?

She peered around the side of a bush and as she was turning back a strong, smooth hand put itself over her mouth and another pinned her arms against her chest.

"Shhhhh," a boy's voice said. It had the same inflections as Halbarad and Halithir, but sounded younger, and gentler. And although the hands were gentle, Tessa could not move a muscle against them.

"Don't struggle, please, I'm not going to hurt you." He said as he turned her around while keeping his hold on her. She saw a boy about her age with long wavy black hair, but it was too dark to see much else. "I am Aragorn, what's your name?"

He took his hand from her mouth, but held her arms still. She just stared at him, as if she was supposed to trust him because of his name.

"Please, don't be frightened, I am here to help you"

Tessa still just stared. He was mildly attractive, she thought in the back part of her brain, just way too handsy. The part of her brain in control of her mouth and body continued in default 'oh no, someone grabbed me' mode.

"Come on now, there are goblins coming. You cannot stay in this frozen state!" He said in an intense whisper. "Hide!" And he dashed towards the east.

She turned around and saw a cluster of movement on a hillside.

"Hey, " she whispered softly. "Hey, you." How could she have forgotten his name. He just said it.

"There's something over there," she whispered again. "Please," she called softly. "Please come back"

She could see them now. Creatures about five feet high, wearing some furry skins. They had curved jagged blades made with rusty metal. She ran off in the same direction as the boy and prayed they hadn't seen her.

Meanwhile Halithir was searching for the goblins. He had found the tracks and was now following them, but he hasn't yet noticed that they were leading back to his brother and the children. At the rate he was going, it was unlikely he would ever.

Halbarad could hear the goblins come through the far side of the camp. He charged the first attacker, giving up the coveted element of surprise, and ended him without a sound.

The next goblin that came through was more prepared and parried a bit against the skilled ranger, but he too was brought down.

Ian saw that more goblins were coming in from the other side of the clearing, and called for Halbarad to look out. However, this drew the second group of goblins attention to the three boys beneath the log.

Kyle looked at Ian with a little bit of frustration, and grabbed the tall boy back beneath the log. He shoved Spencer behind Ian and climbed out to defend them.

Halbarad would have been more impressed if he had a weapon.

The first goblin that looked at him was fairly confused, mainly because it had been sent to kill rangers, not that he minded killing anything he could, but this teenager was wearing the strangest clothing.

Kyle consciously took advantage of the creature's surprise and charged the couple yards separating them, with the goal of taking its weapon. The goblin quickly recovered when it clicked that he was being attacked, but not in time to defend himself. Kyle grabbed the wrist of the sword hand and swung his elbow beneath the opposite rib cage with all his force. His opponent fell backwards, but Kyle held onto that wrist until he had grabbed the sword, and blocking all thoughts, plunged it through the goblins chest.

Then two more goblins engaged him, testing his limits of speed and focus. One held a spear and the other had a sword, slightly longer than the one Kyle had stolen. Their combined strength was more than enough to knock the boy back towards the ground. As he hit the ground, the sword bounced from his hand. Ian scrambled to help him, but the heavy branches impeded his movement.

As the goblin with the sword swung the final blow, a longsword came in from the left and parried it, pushing the creature intent on death away from the helpless boy.

And as Kyle looked up, he saw another boy, about his age, but taller, holding a sword almost as long as his leg. He was driving back the two goblins with quick swings of his sword.

"Kyle!" Tessa gasped as she ran in behind the boy and saw Kyle lying on the ground.

"I'm fine," he said, and rose to his feet. He retrieved the short sword he had taken from the goblin and looked around the trees. Halbarad was finishing off the last goblin and the boy had dispatched the goblin with the spear, leaving only one unchallenged creature. As he stepped towards it, a large arrow flew through its chest, centimeters from its heart.

Halithir walked out from a cluster of trees a ways off and waved at the surprised boy. Halbarad was wiping the rest of the dark goblin blood from his blade.

"Nice shot, Halithir," complemented the boy.

Halbarad turned his stern gaze on him, and with a mixture of humility and authority, spoke. "My young lord Aragorn, you should not be here."

Tessa, with all her goodwill, stood up for him in an instant. "Hey!" she said. "If he hadn't come, I would be dead and Kyle definitely would and you probably would have too!" she glared at him with a loyal defiance.

"Calm yourself, Tessa," Halithir said soothingly. "I do not believe you quite understand the situation at hand."

"Indeed," agreed Halbarad, more aggressively. Aragorn smiled, enjoying the moment until that aggression was aimed back its target.

"Aragorn is the chieftain of the Dunadain," continued Halithir. "He is our king, though he is little more than a child. His life is much more important than that of mine or my brothers. Besides that, he has not yet been fully trained. He had a greater chance of being killed than saving any of us."

Tessa almost argued further, but as she looked at Aragorn, he added, "But don't get the wrong idea of Halbarad and Halithir. They have barely five years of manhood between them."

"Look," said Kyle, with his constantly impatient tone of voice. "I know we've just been attacked by, well, um, well, by goblins. But Rosaria is not doing any better with you standing here talking. And I don't think we should wait until morning to get to wherever it is, Imladris, or whatever."

"One of you is injured?" Aragorn asked.

"Yes," answered Halbarad. "Her collar was broken when, well, I don't know how, you will have to ask her, but Kyle is right. We must make haste."

And with that command, the party regrouped, reoriented and headed on a path towards Rivendell, also called Imladrias in the elven tongue.

So, I kept my promise. Took some work getting it edited and posted, but I really enjoyed writing this one. Let me know what you think. So, I probably will update sunday night, but this may be the craziest week my entire existence, so it may be Monday morning at like two ;) and I royally lost my laptop charging cord. Just in case you guys care about that. Which you probably don't. I have been busy falling in love with a hot european ballroom dancer in my french class. But you definitely don't care about that.

See you next week :)


	5. Chapter 5

You would not believe the frustration this chapter has been. I have almost four different versions, so this is definitely one I will be revising in the break I have coming up. Sorry for the crappy representation of a certain character, but I haven't missed a self-imposed deadline yet, and I don't want to. The time i would have spent practicing and researching his dialogue was spent writing and rewriting this chapter. and the pacing really sucks, just in case you tought i had missed that.

* * *

"We are almost there." Aragorn said. "We will see Rivendell in the hour."

Before they reached it, a scouting party of elves had found them. Ian looked at the fair, tall, long haired men. And they stared back at him. Their leader was speaking in another language to Halbarad about Rosaria, but there were four or five others who stood around, staring at the teens.

"Are they just going to look at us the whole time?" Kyle asked Ian, in a low voice.

"No," said one with silver hair, pulled to the side in a smooth braid. The two boys turned their shocked expressions quickly towards him. "We were wondering what language you spoke, and if you would understand us."

Tessa, who had a thing for languages and dialects, noticed the emphasis he put on his "r"s. And the accent he had was neither British or Australian, but somewhere in between.

The tall elf who had spoken walked towards them. Tessa stood up from the log she was on, slipping on a patch of damp leaves. Before Kyle or Ian could react, the elf had reached her and steadied her with a graceful hand.

In his hand, he could feel her bony elbow, cold beneath her grey, baggy sweatshirt. Curiously, he pushed the sleeve up and looked at her arm. It was thin and beautiful, but it looked ashy and starved.

He turned to the others and said in elvish "These children are starving. We must get them to Imladris now."

The elves and rangers led the weary travelers through the last leg of their journey. Rosaria was taken to the healers, although there was some discussion between the elves and Tessa whether she needed to be looked after.

Kyle and Aragorn sat on a patio in the morning, waiting for any news of Rosaria. Kyle had just recounted the story of how he had arrived in the forest and the encounter with the two rangers. Aragorn tried as hard as he could to wait until his new friend had finished before asking questions, but he had to ask.

"What is the place that you came from? Bigfork, Montana?"

Kyle kind of laughed at the boy's stilted pronunciation of such an insignificant township. "It's just a little town, more like a group of houses," he tried to explain. "Maybe it's like a village, with a little market square and a few buildings, but nothing major."

"And you told me you are all from the same country?"

"Yeah, I'm from the northwest, Ian is from a big city on the east coast, Rosaria is from the south, I think. And Spencer is from the west coast, in a small town like me. I don't know where Tessa is from, she might be Canadian." Kyle said.

"Canadian?" Aragorn repeated.

"Yeah, that's the country to the north of us."

"And you all speak the same language and fight under the same banner?"

"Well," he stalled, thinking of the fights he had seen in congress over the television. "Well, they are all under the same flag when they fight with each other," he said with a bitter laugh.

Tessa walked in and leaned against one of the pillars. "What are you talking about?" she asked the boys.

"I was telling him about America." Kyle said. "By the way, where are you from?"

"I'm from Arkansas, but we moved to Indiana a few years ago. Why?"

Kyle shrugged, "Just wondering."

"Anyway, breakfast is ready, if you wanted to know."

"I'm coming!" said Kyle enthusiastically.

Aragorn rolled his eyes at the boys love for eating the elves food and followed them down to the pavilion they ate dinner at. It was in a grassy clearing, with a long stone table and chairs a little too large for any of the newcomers, except Ian. Spencer had to sit at the very edge to get his feet to touch the edge.

Since dinner the previous night, Spencer had been more talkative, although it seemed that he wasn't the most social boy under normal circumstances. He liked it when some of the elves would sing and dance around. Their presence and carefree faces calmed him down.

Tessa seemed frightened of the elves, no matter how much Aragorn told her there was nothing to be frightened of. She had been a little more comfortable when they gave her a long sleeved dress to exchange for her sweatshirt and shorts, but avoided them as much as possible, staying in her room almost constantly.

As the group got settled, and Ian was shushed a few times, they began eating. Aragorn ate with them, but Halithir and Halbarad were off somewhere else in the city.

Through a mouthful, Ian asked Kyle, "Have you heard anything about Rosaria?"

Kyle shook his head, "No, not yet."

"She will be fine. The elves are very skilled healers." Aragorn said.

"I'm sure you're right," said Kyle, "But I'm still worried. And not just about her. People don't just randomly appear in a different world. Something is wrong."

"Quite true, young man," a powerful voice said. "I came to tell you that your friend Rosaria is awake, and will be ready to see you all later today, however, we do need to discuss your unexpected arrival."

"What about it?" Tessa asked. "We don't know anything about it."

Although her tone was fairly well-mannered, Aragorn was shocked at such a lack of propriety.

"Tessa," Aragorn said. "This is Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

"Aragorn, it is quite obvious that this young girl meant no disrespect. I doubt there is much culture we share, based on the clothing you have come to us wearing." Elrond said. "I believe you do not know how you arrived here, but I wanted to ask for any information you remember of arriving here."

"We all just fell asleep where we were, like getting knocked out, but when we woke up we were here." Ian said.

"Well then I can see-"

"Actually." Kyle interrupted. "I didn't pass out. Well, not at first." He looked at his friends and continued telling Elrond what he had seen and felt as the light had fought with him, bringing him to the forest, where he found Rosaria.

"I will have to consult with others of my kind, but for now, I believe you were brought here for a good purpose, not by any evil designs." He said. "Please, enjoy the comfort of Imladris. We will discuss your fate at a later date."

And the half-elf walked gracefully away.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I apologize for taking this down, but I needed some major revisions before I could continue. This chapter now leads up to something I wasn't planning on getting to until later, and it kinda leaves off, but I'll be posting Monday night, so I don't think it's much of a cliffhanger.

Tessa sat in her chair, just picking at her food as the three rambunctious boys had conversations detailing their most amazing physical feats and increasingly disturbing extracurricular activities. Her empty stomach was getting unbearable, but she couldn't bring herself to eat anything at the table.

Spencer leaned over and asked "Do you want the last slice of toast?"

"No, Spence, you go ahead," she said quietly.

"But you haven't had anything!" he said with concern.

"I'm just feeling a little queasy right now. I ate some stuff at dinner, I'm fine." She smiled at her friend. "I think I'm going to go lay down."

"Okay, do you want me to get you when we go to Rosaria?" he asked as she stood up.

"No, I'll come and find you," she said.

Aragorn, trained to be chivalrous, stood when he noticed Tessa leaving. She paused for a moment and just looked at him uncomfortably and he looked back at her with a questioning expression. Then he noticed he was the only one standing.

"You don't stand for women when they leave the table, do you?" he asked.

Tessa shook her head and continued her exit.

Ian just laughed at the awkward exchange, but Kyle and Spencer both silently decided that they were going to take Aragorn's lead whenever manners were concerned.

He sat down and the boys continued eating.

Kyle turned the conversation to their battle. "So Aragorn, where did you learn to sword fight?"

Aragorn swallowed the mouthful of food and answered, "Well, you mostly just pick it up from watching others, but the elves here and I spar. Before that they would just show me how to block and parry. You know, the basics."

"Could you teach me?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, that might not be a good idea," Halbarad said as he walked in. "He could very well show you something that will get you killed. But you are right, you do need to learn to fight, and judging by the looks of you boys, defending yourself is not a skill you have obtained."

Spencer just looked down at his thin arms and scrawny legs. "I have to fight too?"

Halbarad looked at Spencer with a smile. "Even you. Although we may have to wait until you have grown some. A good sized broadsword could weigh more than you." He gave him a pat on the back.

"Yes, I think that is how we will spend the day. Spencer, you might find Lord Elrond's library more to your liking. If you have finished..."

"I'm full."

"Good, I'll show you to the library. Aragorn, if you could take these two to the practice clearing, I will meet you there."

The ranger and the youngest boy went up the tan stone steps and trough a long open-aired hallway. There was an open door that led to a large circular room with stone shelves and large wooden chairs with soft, lumpy pillows on each seat.

Spencer watched Halbarad walk away, leaving him completely alone. He glanced at the shelves, wondering how he was supposed to reach the top shelf. There was a book about and inch and a half thick with a white cloth cover and gold lettering. _The History of Western Beleriand: Foes and Fields of the Second Age_. Not very interesting. He walked up and down the shelves looking for something exciting, but it wasn't until he had reached an abandoned-looking corner of the library that he did. It was a small forest green book with a full color illustration of a wizard waving a staff through a cave, however, he couldn't read the language at all. He guessed it was probably elvish, seeing as all the people here were elves, but it could be a different way if writing English, in which case he would have to find someone to teach him.

"That was my favorite story when I was younger," said a sweet feminine voice.

Spencer turned around with surprise at the sound.

An elvish lady laughed at his shocked expression. "I am called Arwen. What is your name?"

He gulped, "Spencer."

"It is very nice to meet you Spencer. I hear you have had quite an adventure so far."

He gulped again not knowing how to answer that. Arwen just smiled and laughed it him good naturedly.

"Do you want me to read that to you?" She asked, gesturing to the small green book.

"Could you teach me to read it?" He asked.

She looked at him with an approving smile, "Of course. It would be my pleasure."

Meanwhile, Halithir was wandering the halls of Rivendell, marveling at the beauty and stability of the place in such a time of disturbance. As he skipped down a narrow set of stairs, he stumbled upon Tessa, going to her room. Tessa went up the small side stairway that led to her little room. There was a thin window facing south, with a view of the river. The bed was small and plain, but there was a soft colorful rug beside it. There was a scene with two elves, a couple, with the man holding a large silver jewel and another person looking on with anger in the corner. Tessa sat down on the floor and was tracing the figures with her fingers.

_He must love her_, she thought about the angry man, otherwise he wouldn't be angry that she loves someone. _Yes_, she decided, _he wanted her for himself_.

She kind of groaned as her stomach rumbled again. She wanted to climb up on her bed, but the thought of putting so much effort into that when the floor was right there...

"Tessa?" said Halithir "May I come in?"

"Sure," she replied.

He came in and sat on the edge of her bed. After he was comfortable, he asked, "How are you adjusting?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Considering everything, other than those goblins, this actually is a much nicer place than high school."

That got a fairly blank look from Halithir, so she elaborated. "It's where teenagers go to school. We just sit in classrooms all day. It's really boring, and I didn't really have a lot of friends, so I only went because I had to."

"Well, if the goblins are the only bad thing you can find in this world, I have some news for you." he looked at her happy regretfully. "There are plenty of other things that would kill you. Orcs and evil men for a start. And they are getting stronger and attacking more homes and villages. It may not be the same tedious school you are from, but this is a dangerous world."

"I know," she said. Her smile still fell a bit as she thought about how close she had been to being killed before Aragorn had come.

Halithir accepted this as an agreement.

"I do have a question about Middle Earth." she said. "What do girls my age normally do?"

He thought about it for a few seconds, his life mostly consisting of hunting and fighting monsters. "Well, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen,"

"Most women of the west, in places like Bree, or Rohan, would be living with their families until they are married. I think most women marry around eighteen"

"Oh," Tessa said, her smile completely gone. "My family. I have a little sister, Tammy. She's seven."

Tears started falling down her face, thinking of how Tammy would be feeling, what her parents would think. She had been gone for days, they must have started looking for her after practice, maybe the next morning at the latest. Thinking of her parents loss was enough to start her crying.

Halithir couldn't bear to sit by. He sat on the floor next to her, trying to soothe her, holding her. "Shh, Tessa, I promise you will be fine. I'm right here, don't worry. Shh."

"I'm never going to see them again!" she sobbed.

Halithir couldn't say what he wanted. She really wouldn't see them again, but hearing that would make her truly inconsolable. She needed something to hold on to. Something.

"Maybe you will." he said. "You came here, maybe you could go back."

She tried to calm herself down. "Yeah," she hiccuped. "We just have to figure it out."

"And we will, but you have only just arrived. I believe that this did not come about easily, and so it won't be easily reversed," he said, not wanting to give her false hope.

Tessa's face got teary again.

"But I promise that we will try."

"Okay," she sighed, relaxing a little bit. "I'm okay now. Really."

She smiled once again, and that convinced Halithir that she would be okay. He patted her head and scooted away.

"What you said earlier," she said, in a different tone of voice. "About what other girls would do. What am I expected to do? I don't have a family to live with, and I'm too young to get married, even if I wanted to, which I don't."

"That's a good question. I may have to consult with my brother, and a few others, but I may have a solution."


End file.
